Jump to content

Beale Park No Mooring


Dave123

Featured Posts

Apparently the moorings at Beale Park (between Pangbourne and Goring on the Thames) have all been closed and replaced with no mooring signs the whole length. According to Facebook this was partly done at the request of the local fishing club but also because of boaters recently overstaying, leaving rubbish, having fires and being abusive to the park ranger. Very sad if it's true/and or permanent. One of the best moorings on the Thames, somewhere space was usually guaranteed and never seen a problem there before. I wonder if there is anything local marinas/boat clubs or even hire bases can do to get this reversed? Hire companies on the Thames are going to struggle if moorings keep being lost. Met a lovely family on a hire boat who had given up getting to Lechlade yesterday as the river was too challenging (including, they said, finding moorings.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

According to Facebook the fishing rights have very recently been sold to a local club ... as riparian owner, the sad but simple reality is that Beale Park can do what it pleases and allow - or disallow - anybody or anything on its land. The irony in the FB thread was one contributor boasting that he had stayed at Beale for two weeks, disingenuously claiming overgrown signage and poor eyesight to justify his outrageously arrogant overstay. This will put huge pressure on the Pangbourne moorings, as if they are not busy enough already. Many Reading boats rock up there on a Friday and stay the entire weekend, so finding a Saturday mooring at Pangbourne in the summer is usually impossible.

Regarding the upper Thames, I can well understand hirers having issues. I think the Eynsham and College Cruisers boats would be better guided downstream. Far more to see and do, and more shops and pubs. Many hirers have an expectation of leafy moorings outside pubs, whereas the upper Thames is beautifully wild and remote. And Lechlade Londis is a shopping disappointment - it would be very difficult to properly stock up there for an 8-berth hire boat as the range is understandably very limited. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Over the last few years the Thames has seen a big increase in Liveaboard/Continuous cruiser boats and quite a lot of continuous moorers. Its the same old story, a large minority of selfish boaters will wreck things for everybody. I just don't know what the solution is.

 

................Dave

  • Greenie 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, dmr said:

Over the last few years the Thames has seen a big increase in Liveaboard/Continuous cruiser boats and quite a lot of continuous moorers. Its the same old story, a large minority of selfish boaters will wreck things for everybody. I just don't know what the solution is.

 

................Dave

That isn't just limited to the Thames. The Fossdyke and Witham has the same problem. Although to be fair to CRT they do seem to have pulled their finger out and are making attempts to get them moving this year and have removed a couple of boats.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

55 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

I went through there 2 weeks ago and the normal 24 hour mooring signs were in place.  When did that change?

I went past last week and moorings were available and occupied. There was space as there always is but also plenty of boats moored there some of which had been there when I passed previously. I don't think the 24 hour thing was being respected to be honest. 

 

It's very sad if the park ranger is getting abuse from boaters. That is bad news if true.  

Edited by magnetman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah what puzzles me is that there was never an issue here with overstaying or mess etc. Its odd for it to suddenly get so bad in the space of a week. These things normally accumaulate and worsen over time as places get a reputation as somewhere to overstay/have parties etc. I was suspecting it might have more to do with the fishing club and that with covid they can't fish near moored boats?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, Cheese said:

The Beale Park website still says 24-hour mooring is permitted: https://www.bealepark.org.uk/plan-your-visit/facilities/

That's interesting. Just remembered they also used to have a boat show there I think? Obviously they were pro-boats!

Regarding the rubbish/BBQs etc the local kids use it as a party place too as there is a car park at Lower Basildon which gives easy access. Wonder if some rubbish is from them?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everything was normal there last Tuesday too, 24 hours permitted with many occupied but plenty of spare space and no evidence of overstaying. We had been there 10 days before, and I'm fairly sure that none of the boats who had been there the first time were still there.

Edited by Keeping Up
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, Keeping Up said:

Everything was normal there last Tuesday too, 24 hours permitted with many occupied but plenty of spare space and no evidence of overstaying. We had been there 10 days before, and I'm fairly sure that none of the boats who had been there the first time were still there.

Yes, I suspect it might actually be the fishing club that has, hopefully temporarily, put up signs so they can have a fishing match which can't be socially distanced from moored boats?

I'm right up the other end of the river now so only reporting 3rd hand rumours???

Edited by Dave123
Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

We moored there twice whilst on the Thames. Didn't see a ranger! Perhaps he's firloughed (smell chek).

 

Its them fisher people again innit?

I think he was patrolling by boat when you & I were there. We saw someone in a small come past us, heading upstream, mid evening; as he passed each moored boat we noticed that he looked carefully at it and then said something into his phone, presumably thus making a note of its name.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This from another forum:

 

We rang Beale yesterday and left a message and to our surprise, and to their credit, they rang back this morning.
The very nice lady who rang was very apologetic but they have had serious problems there this summer with so many people around with rubbish, including excrement, discarded towels, rubbish bags and fires. They don’t have a full complement of staff after lockdown and have been really struggling to deal with it.
They have also had problems with the access road down to the river being blocked for residents due to double parking and have had to call the police out on one occasion.
In the end they concluded, and reluctantly, that they had little option but to close the moorings at least for the rest of this season.
They intend to review the position next year and she talked about setting up a working party of interested users to see how best to manage the site.
They are going to speak to the lockkeepers at goring and Whitchurch to let them know what was happening, although there is already a handwritten sign at Whitchurch.

Edited by Paringa
This sounds to me more like land based visitors to the river causing issues rather than boats...
  • Greenie 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, dmr said:

Over the last few years the Thames has seen a big increase in Liveaboard/Continuous cruiser boats and quite a lot of continuous moorers. Its the same old story, a large minority of selfish boaters will wreck things for everybody. I just don't know what the solution is.

 

................Dave

There is an obvious solution but it would not be popular.

 

Do the same as the Bridgewater - "No Mooring - No licence"

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

There is an obvious solution but it would not be popular.

 

Do the same as the Bridgewater - "No Mooring - No licence"

Easy - if it were a licence on the Thames, but it's not, it's a registration. EA can't direct where you keep your boat or much else.

It costs so much to prosecute and it takes so long that the net result is that nothing happens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Paringa said:

This from another forum:

 

We rang Beale yesterday and left a message and to our surprise, and to their credit, they rang back this morning.
The very nice lady who rang was very apologetic but they have had serious problems there this summer with so many people around with rubbish, including excrement, discarded towels, rubbish bags and fires. They don’t have a full complement of staff after lockdown and have been really struggling to deal with it.
They have also had problems with the access road down to the river being blocked for residents due to double parking and have had to call the police out on one occasion.
In the end they concluded, and reluctantly, that they had little option but to close the moorings at least for the rest of this season.
They intend to review the position next year and she talked about setting up a working party of interested users to see how best to manage the site.
They are going to speak to the lockkeepers at goring and Whitchurch to let them know what was happening, although there is already a handwritten sign at Whitchurch.

Sounds to me like the sort of problems reported by tourist hotspots across the country - too many people on furlough or not working, unable to holiday abroad, and generally good weather encouraging them out. Most probably come by car, but I assume there will have been more boats out than normal too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Paringa said:

This from another forum:

 

We rang Beale yesterday and left a message and to our surprise, and to their credit, they rang back this morning.
The very nice lady who rang was very apologetic but they have had serious problems there this summer with so many people around with rubbish, including excrement, discarded towels, rubbish bags and fires. They don’t have a full complement of staff after lockdown and have been really struggling to deal with it.
They have also had problems with the access road down to the river being blocked for residents due to double parking and have had to call the police out on one occasion.
In the end they concluded, and reluctantly, that they had little option but to close the moorings at least for the rest of this season.
They intend to review the position next year and she talked about setting up a working party of interested users to see how best to manage the site.
They are going to speak to the lockkeepers at goring and Whitchurch to let them know what was happening, although there is already a handwritten sign at Whitchurch.

Thanks for posting this. It is as I suspected though, the problems almost entirely caused by local residents not boaters. Its been 24hrs mooring for ages so no boaters park cars there. This only happens at places people moor for longer periods, and as everyone has been saying, there is never any evidence of oversaying boats there. Its all people driving and parking in the lane at Lower Basildon and leaving rubbish behind. Boaters would take it with them to Goring where there are big EA bins. Sad that boaters pay the price. At least it isn't the fishing club and with the poor weather and end of lockdown things will hopefully improve and Beale park will see this was a unique situation that won't be repeated and will allow mooring again.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perhaps it would be a good idea if each of us were to email Beale and let them know our views - maybe even direct them to this thread?

 

It worries me that with the exception of Wallingford and Pangbourne, both of which are usually full anyway and would be even more so with the added pressure of boats not mooring at Beale, there is very very little narrowboat-friendly mooring between Abingdon and Sonning

  • Greenie 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, john6767 said:

This is a real shame, we have always stopped there.  I can’t picture where there are other places to moor in that area, where would the suggestions be.  We should be there in about 3 weeks time.

Not much if you can't find a space at Pangbourne or Goring. Goring is better policed than Pangbourne (where a lot of cruisers from the Reading area marinas tend to stay the weekend) as it's run by the lock keeper. There are sometimes boats tied to trees on the east bank before the Goring lock moorings. Or some wild spots needing a plank above Mapledurham. Or the meadow above Cleeve lock.

You can use the outside part of the island under Steatley bridge. Only the inside bit is for lock waiting. Also there is a more expensive VM down the side channel above Goring lock and one below Cleeve lock.

Edited by Dave123
  • Greenie 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Came past Beale Park this morning and all the no mooring signs have gone, every one of them. There were lots of them mounted on posts when we passed over a week ago going down stream and no moored boats. No sign of them been broken off, just gone. A few boats moored there this morning which were mostly day boats. Whitchurch lock has still got a blackboard sign saying no mooring at Beale.

They haven't been replaced with the original 24 hr mooring allowed signs though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was going to post similar.  We came past on Friday going downstream, there are no “no mooring” signs, just the posts, and there were boats moored there.  We are planning to stop there on our way back upstream, unless we get tempted if there is space at Pangbourne.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, john6767 said:

I was going to post similar.  We came past on Friday going downstream, there are no “no mooring” signs, just the posts, and there were boats moored there.  We are planning to stop there on our way back upstream, unless we get tempted if there is space at Pangbourne.

I hope it is the case that you can moor there again now as we couldn't either way at the end of August. I feel really sorry for the hire boaters very little chance of getting a decent mooring after a days cruising as most of the decent moorings are now taken up by large boats who seem to move if at all first thing in the morning to the next location.

 

I couldn't believe how many large wide boats/dutch barges there are now on the river that seem to occupy most of the prime moorings. They don't seem to be in the process of recreational cruising as I think of it. Where do they come from and go to? Many of them are unmarked so difficult to trace so do they stay on the river the whole year or disappear off somewhere else. I can remember when I considered a dawncraft to be large and luxurious.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Mike Adams said:

I hope it is the case that you can moor there again now as we couldn't either way at the end of August. I feel really sorry for the hire boaters very little chance of getting a decent mooring after a days cruising as most of the decent moorings are now taken up by large boats who seem to move if at all first thing in the morning to the next location.

 

I couldn't believe how many large wide boats/dutch barges there are now on the river that seem to occupy most of the prime moorings. They don't seem to be in the process of recreational cruising as I think of it. Where do they come from and go to? Many of them are unmarked so difficult to trace so do they stay on the river the whole year or disappear off somewhere else. I can remember when I considered a dawncraft to be large and luxurious.

Same as everywhere really, it is the “cheap housing” syndrome.  
 

Anyway we are in Henley at the moment, it was rammed last night on the regatta moorings on the left going down stream, but plenty of space when we got here at 1pm, which was intentional on our part.  Virtually all the boats left the regatta moorings this morning, and there are only a few boats here here now.  There were hire boats looking for moorings at 6/7 pm yesterday, but there was still plenty of space on the other side of the river, and even after everyone arrived you would still have got another 20 narrowboats moored there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.